Apparatus for preventing joint stiffness and atrophy of the muscles when treating bone fractures



v Sept. 26, 1933. TIEGEL 1,928,515

M. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING JOINT STIFFNESS AND ATROi HY OF THE MUSCLES WHEN TREATING BONE FRACTURES Filed April 12, 1932 Fatentecl gep t. 2 56, i933 APPARATUS FOR FREVENTIING .FOJINT STEFFNESS AND ATRQPHY F THE MUSGLES WHEN TREATING BQNE FRAC- roses Max Tiegel, Trier, Germany Application April 12, 1932, Serial No. 604,673,,

and in Germany December 12, 1931 2 Claims.

When treating bone fractures with setting dressings as was hitherto customary joint stiffening and atrophy of the muscles often occur, 0W- ing to the limb remaining inactive for a long time.

5 This is particularly the case with fractures in or near a joint. If such a stifieningor atrophy occurred it is often difficult to cure. A wearimedicomechanical subsequent treatment mostly necessary, which considerably prolongs 19 the healing treatment and causes extra expenses. Moreover, in spite of the use of all medicomechanical expedients stiffness sometimes still rel"l&ll1$ so that in the case of State insured persons a lifelong pension must be paid, thereby increasing the burden of the State.

These objections are overcome by the inventiO IL' According to the invention a medicoinechanical treatment of the injured limb or of its joints is 20 carried out during the treatment or" the fracture for prevening joint stiffness and atrophy of the muscles of the person confined to bed in that by arranging oscillating devicescn the supporting splint oi the injured limb, freedom of movement is ensured to thejoints and to the muscles of this lirnb directly after the injury happened so that the muscles are strengthened by moving in opposition to the resistance (weight loading).

The oscillating device preferably consists of a U haped bow hingedly connected to the supportingsplint oi the inj .red limb, one arm of the bow, or its extended pivot axle carrying an oscillatable rod adapted to be adjusted to and to be in any desired angular position with an exchangeable weight, so that oscillating oi the (foot, shank or fore-arm) in the desired angular positions and in opposition to resistance is possible. I

An apparatus according to the invention is illustrated by way of example the accompanying drawing in which:--

1 shows in perspective View a portion of extension bed with oscillating device conted thereto.

Fig. 2 shows on a larger scale the oscillating device in front elevation I Fig. 3 is a side elevation or" Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a detail.

Go an extension bed a a supporting bar b, b for the stretching treatment of a broken leg is arranged. As an example of treatment the foot :2 of the patient is connected to the oscillating device, in order to prevent bythe oscillating movement atrophy of the muscles and stifiening of the joint during the treatment of the bone fracture. The oscillating device consists of a bar 6 bent in U-shape and the ends of the arms of the U-shaped portion being bent at right angles to for n axles Q, 01 journaled in bearings) and hingc iy connected by these hearings to a pair of supporting bars b so that they are adapted to oscillate in the direction of the arrows 2, 3. The axle 5/1 is considerably longer than the axle g and has on its free end a disc h keyed'thereon and a screw thread i'with a tomrny-screw A collar m of an osciilatable rod n is pressed tightly against the disc it and secured against rotation by means of this tomboy-screw k. In order to facilitate the clamping, the disc h and collar m may be fluted preferably in radial form on their contacting surfaces. The oscillatable rod 12 is bent at right angles to form an arm 0 which carries an exchangeable weight in. This weight is vertical under the central line ll of the bow e. in order to enable the apparatus to be easily adapted to different heights of beds, the oscillatable rod n is preferably subdivided'and telescopic so that it can be easily adjusted to any desired length. "It is possible, by means of the toinrny-screw It, to bring the oscillatable rod n with the weight 10 into any desired angular posi tion relative tothe bow e, or to alter the angular position of the how. The injured joint can thus be brought into different positions from time to time, the displacement being increased as the iracturehcals. The joint can oscillate freely in all these positions. As the healing process progresses, the oscillating weight 19 is shifted so far from the perpendicular that the limb is brought into extreme bending or stretched posi ticn sothat the patient, in order to return his. limb into the middle position, must overcome the load of the weight by tensioning the group of muscles in question. These movements in opposition to the resistance lead to a premature muscle training and prevent atrophy of the muscles.

In order to be able to accurately control the adjustment of the osciilatable rod 12 er or the weight 23, a scale q is provided on the upper edge of the disc h, on which scale a mark 7 on the collar m of the oscillatable rod n points. The shank, fore-arm or other limb may be connected, in an analogous manner as the foot 11, to the how 2 or to a bow shaped according to these limbs.

I claimu- 1. An apparatus for preventing stiifening and atrophy of muscles in the case of persons confined to bed for the treatment of bone or joint 2. An apparatus as specified in claim 1, comprising in combination with the oscillatable rod and the bow, a disc rigidly mounted on said bow having a scale, an indicator on said rod adapted to indicate on said scale the angular position of said rod relative to said how, and means for securing said rod in its adjusted angular position relative to said bow.

MAX TIEGEL 

